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Space 4
9:40:25 PM Josie: Bam! 9:40:57 PM Josie: Coil has been ordered to dock with the station and comply with a full investigation of the events that killed Captain Lark. 9:41:30 PM Coil: Yep. He's in it now! 9:41:59 PM Coil: As soon as he's off the com, he tells the fugitives to hide! 9:42:08 PM Josie: Lou: Where? Anywhere? 9:42:27 PM Coil: ((Do I have smuggling compartments?)) 9:43:23 PM Josie: Yep. 9:43:33 PM Josie: You're not even sure where they all are. Vir is *worryingly* clever about things like that. 9:44:14 PM Coil: Vir. Get these folks hidden. Everyone in a seperate compartment. 9:44:24 PM Coil: You know where they are better than I do. 9:45:17 PM Josie: Vir: ... separate. All right. 9:46:46 PM Josie: He signs off without further ceremony. 9:47:30 PM Coil: Coil sets to docking! 9:48:57 PM Josie: It takes a few minutes, but that just gives Vir time to get people hidden. 9:50:08 PM Coil: Yep! 9:51:28 PM Josie: Eventually you successfully dock the ship. 9:51:46 PM Coil: Coil then heads to the cargo bay to meet the Captain. 9:52:02 PM Josie: If she's a captain. You didn't really get a good look at her rank insignia. 9:52:13 PM Coil: Welll, Lark. 9:52:46 PM Josie: Indeed. 9:53:03 PM Josie: The intercom crackles. "Permission to come aboard?" 9:53:19 PM Coil: Granted, come aboard. 9:54:42 PM Josie: The door opens and three people step onto the ship. One of them is Lark--as you can now see a bit more clearly, this one is also a captain, though she has a uniform style you're not quite familiar with--black with grey stripes rather than grey with black stripes. 9:55:34 PM Josie: One of the others, however, is also a captain, and it's fairly clear from the moment he steps on board that he's the one in charge. He orders the other man to start with the computer to get records of the incident and then begins inspecting the place, ignoring the other Lark. 9:55:41 PM Josie: Lark: Captain. 9:56:05 PM Coil: Captain. 9:56:18 PM Coil: Coil steps aside and lets her onto the cargo bay. 9:56:36 PM Josie: She doesn't step in. "... I was hoping to interview you elsewhere." 9:57:08 PM Coil: On board your station? 9:57:26 PM Josie: She nods. 9:57:35 PM Josie: It's fairly clear she's been crying, or maybe just trying not to cry. 9:57:56 PM Coil: All right. Let me find my engineer first. 9:58:18 PM Josie: She nods. 9:58:24 PM Coil: Coil finds Vir! 9:59:59 PM Josie: Vir is in the cockpit, alone, monitoring and tinkering with that same wired thing he was working on before. ... Coil can tell his heart's not in it. 10:00:24 PM Coil: You alright? 10:00:40 PM Josie: Vir: Quite. Thinking of other projects. 10:01:28 PM Coil: Captain Lark's sister, Captain Lark, wants to interview me onboard the station. 10:02:07 PM Josie: Vir: ... that's somewhat confusing. 10:03:24 PM Josie: Vir: We are having a very... interesting... day. 10:04:09 PM Coil: You're telling me. 10:04:26 PM Coil: You stay here, cooperate with anyone she sends to investigate. 10:04:39 PM | Edited 10:04:43 PM Josie: Vir nods. "As is required by law." 10:04:48 PM Coil: Yes. 10:05:09 PM Josie: He doesn't wink. 10:05:24 PM Coil: Coil figures he's not the winking type! 10:05:51 PM Josie: No. 10:06:23 PM Coil: Coil then returns to the cargo bay! 10:07:00 PM Coil: My man Vir will help you with anything you need while I"m aboard your station. 10:07:44 PM Josie: Captain Not-Either-Lark: Excellent. 10:07:55 PM Josie: He's preoccupied looking at the doors. There's a scuffmark on one of them. 10:08:18 PM Coil: Shall we, then? 10:09:25 PM Josie: Lark nods. She's still not in the ship, but standing in the doorway. 10:09:38 PM Coil: Coil follows her, then! 10:11:50 PM Josie: Lark leads him on board the station. There are security checks; he'll have to surrender any weapons before he can get through the checkpoint. Lark doesn't have to, obviously. 10:12:10 PM Coil: He hands over his side arm, which is the only weapon on him. 10:13:17 PM Josie: Lark looks pretty impatient with the whole process, like she's *itching* to talk. 10:13:47 PM Coil: Coil goes along with every security procedure! 10:14:08 PM Josie: But eventually the security mumbo-jumbo is done. He's fingerprinted, retinal-scanned and DNA-typed, and then Lark leads him off through the station. 10:15:10 PM Josie: It's a *large* station. This is only one docking bay of several, and Lark leads Coil past a few others, and then through what looks like a commerce hub, with a few restaurants with varying degrees of delicious smells and an array of shops, all crammed up against each other as is typical on a station. 10:15:50 PM Coil: Coil looks around. 10:16:12 PM Josie: Very colorful, humanoids of many colors and descriptions. 10:16:45 PM Josie: And a few nonhumanoids too. You spot one or two butterflies among the crowd, flitting above everyone else so as not to get smooshed. They're quite delicate, after all. 10:17:21 PM Josie: Eventually you get through the hubbub and the crowd and reach a quieter set of hallways, and then a small offshoot hallway, and then an offshoot of an offshoot. Lark opens the door and gestures for you to go in. 10:17:46 PM Coil: Coil heads in. 10:18:43 PM Josie: She steps in after Coil. 10:19:48 PM Josie: It looks like a rather dull, sterile living room-type environment, all very small--station space is always at a premium. But there's enough room for a small love seat and a small armchair, and a door into another room nearby. It's all pretty drab-looking. 10:21:15 PM Josie: Lark gestures at him vaguely, to sit down. 10:21:27 PM Coil: Coil sits on the loveseat. 10:21:36 PM Josie: Lark takes the chair, and rubs her eyes. 10:21:45 PM Josie: Lark: ... tell me what happened. 10:23:04 PM Coil: Coil tells her the truth of what happens up until he got up in the middle of the night. 10:23:38 PM Coil: You know that feeling when something's just gone wrong? I got that in the middle of the night, got up to check it out. 10:24:02 PM Josie: Lark: ... go on. I just... I need to know. 10:29:37 PM Coil: I checked the bridge first, then I headed down to the cargo bay. Someone took a shot at me, I got behind cover. I... heard Captain Lark call out to me. She sounded wounded. She warned me to get back behind the bulkhead. And I guess she vented the hold. Probably saved my life. 10:30:30 PM Josie: Lark: ... that sounds like her. 10:30:49 PM Josie: Lark: ... do you think she... she must have been alive when it was vented. 10:33:50 PM Coil: ... I don't know. She... sounded wounded. Wet cough. 10:35:41 PM Josie: Lark: And she took the prisoners out too? 10:35:46 PM Josie: She stares at you. 10:37:26 PM Josie: It's a little easier to tell from this close that she's not the same Lark. She has a scar that sort of divides her left eyebrow (the one to your right) and goes down her cheek. 10:41:17 PM Coil: Coil nods. "Yeah. I had set her and the two female prisoners up in a cabin. But after the cargo bay was vented, no one one was left." 10:42:10 PM Josie: A tear slides down her face, following the path of the scar, and she stands up abruptly. "Let me get you a drink. What would you like?" 10:42:19 PM Coil: Water is fine, thanks. 10:45:22 PM Josie: Lark: No, a real drink. Please. 10:46:05 PM Coil: All right. whiskey. 10:47:22 PM Josie: She nods, and opens a panel in the wall and grabs a bottle down. 10:47:38 PM Josie: She takes out two glasses and fills them both half-full. 10:49:15 PM Coil: I'm sorry. 10:49:42 PM Josie: Lark: It wasn't your fault. 10:49:55 PM Coil: I wish I had known her better. 10:50:24 PM | Edited 10:51:56 PM Josie: She sets the glasses down on the table and this time sits next to him, though she does carefully avoid touching. 10:51:40 PM Coil: Coil takes a glass. 10:52:15 PM Josie: Lark: And that's all that happened? 10:52:21 PM Coil: As far as I know. 10:52:31 PM Josie: She reaches over and takes his hand. 10:53:05 PM Josie: Lark: Nothing else? 10:53:29 PM Coil: ...nothing else. 10:54:27 PM Josie: She frowns. "...you're not telling the truth." 10:54:37 PM Josie: She drops his hand and sips her whiskey. 10:56:38 PM Coil: ...That box she was carrying. I couldn't find it. I think it got blown out when she vented the hold. 10:57:24 PM Josie: Lark: But you're not sure. 10:58:17 PM Coil: We searched, hoped to have *something* to give the Coalition. If there was trouble, would she have taken it with her, or left it in her room? 10:59:35 PM Josie: Lark: Taken it with her, probably. 10:59:41 PM Josie: Lark takes a deep breath and then exhales. 10:59:45 PM Coil: Then it probably got voided too. 10:59:53 PM Josie: Lark: It doesn't matter, really. 11:00:20 PM Josie: Lark: It only had enough materials to keep the thing inside alive until... well. About nine hours ago. It's dead now, whereever it is, thank goodness. 11:01:07 PM Coil: What was it? ... no, never mind. 11:01:15 PM Coil: Stupid question. 11:02:30 PM Josie: Lark shrugs. "Mostly classified." 11:02:48 PM Coil: I figured. 11:02:52 PM Josie: Lark: A proscribed species. A new one. That much I can tell you. 11:03:30 PM Coil: I see. 11:04:31 PM Josie: Lark: Drink your drink. 11:04:45 PM Coil: Not much of a drinker, I'm afraid. 11:05:51 PM Josie: Lark: If you don't, I can't either. 11:06:08 PM Coil: Why? 11:06:17 PM Josie: Lark: Wouldn't be polite, would it? 11:06:27 PM Coil: I wouldn't mind. 11:06:30 PM Josie: Lark: I would. 11:06:42 PM Josie: Lark: It's just one, it won't kill you. 11:06:45 PM Coil: Coil takes a small sip of his drink. 11:07:01 PM Josie: High-quality stuff, from what he can tell. 11:08:05 PM Josie: Lark: They were being brought here for interrogation. That's a lot of cold trails we're faced with now. 11:08:49 PM Coil: Coil nods. 11:09:08 PM Josie: Lark takes his hand again. 11:09:18 PM Josie: Lark: Did any of them say anything to you? Anything at all? 11:09:56 PM Coil: The feline-augment girl begged me for mercy. The dark haired woman glared at me in passing. 11:10:10 PM Josie: Lark: What else? 11:11:05 PM Coil: That was it. I avoided the prisoners. 11:11:27 PM Josie: Lark: That's a lie, too. 11:14:16 PM Coil: The feline girl begged me for mercy, I apologized to her, the dark haired woman glared at me. I exchanged words with Captain Lark on our emergency procedures, or... lack thereof. 11:14:33 PM Josie: Lark: ... sounds like Irene. What else? 11:15:06 PM Coil: Then I went to bed, and apparently all hell broke loose. 11:15:57 PM Josie: Lark: What aren't you telling me? 11:16:03 PM Josie: She *stares*. 11:16:30 PM Josie: One of her eyes is slightly darker than the other. 11:17:23 PM Coil: ...I'm telling you everything relevant. 11:17:57 PM Josie: Lark: What aren't you telling me that *isn't* relevant? 11:21:16 PM Coil: The girl. Alice. I knew her. Five years ago or so. Knew her, if you get my meaning. It didn't end well. 11:21:40 PM Josie: Lark: You're lying. 11:21:51 PM Coil: ((Not sure what to do here.)) 11:22:12 PM Josie: ((KILL HER. No, don't do that. You're actually doing pretty well.)) 11:22:14 PM Coil: ((I can't lie, and his whole plan involved liying.)) 11:22:30 PM Josie: Lark: ... answer me this. Could you have saved my sister? 11:24:27 PM Coil: ... yes. If I had been faster, I think I could have. 11:25:07 PM Josie: Lark: ... that means you did try, then. 11:25:23 PM Josie: She turns his hand over in her hands and stares at it. 11:25:44 PM Josie: Lark: Mama always said never let pretty people hold your hand. 11:27:02 PM Coil: Why not? 11:28:13 PM Josie: Lark sniffles a little bit. "Because they can tell when your pulse changes when you lie." 11:28:31 PM Coil: I'm pretty nervous. 11:29:01 PM Josie: Lark: I'm the interrogator. 11:29:54 PM Coil: So I have good reason to be nervous. 11:30:38 PM Josie: Lark: I don't care what happened to the prisoners. 11:31:06 PM Coil: ..I'm sorry about your sister. 11:32:03 PM Josie: Lark: I know. I can tell. 11:32:16 PM Josie: Lark: You're not very cooperative. 11:32:29 PM Josie: She drinks the rest of her drink and sets the glass down. 11:37:43 PM Coil: Sorry. 11:38:48 PM Josie: Lark: Don't much feel like trying harder. 11:39:23 PM Josie: She moves closer and leans up against him, with a bleak, blank expression. 11:40:23 PM Coil: You were twins? 11:42:22 PM Josie: Lark: Yeah. I always thought I'd known when she went. Or that she'd know when I went. 11:43:03 PM Josie: Lark: We had to pull strings to get her that assignment, bringing those crooks here. We don't get to see each other very often, and it was going to be-- 11:43:14 PM Josie: Her voice breaks a little bit. "... it was going to be fun." 11:45:21 PM Coil: Coil frowns, not sure what to do, puts an arm around her shoulders. 11:46:54 PM Josie: She cries a little bit, and hugs him. 11:46:58 PM Josie: It's awkward. 11:48:14 PM Josie: After a few minutes she stops, though, and repositions herself so that she's sort of half-facing him, front turned toward the back of the couch. "Where are you going next?" 11:48:41 PM Coil: I'm not sure. Probably to a port world for more work. 11:49:04 PM Josie: Lark: I'm going with. 11:49:14 PM Coil: ....huh? 11:51:13 PM Josie: Lark: I said I'm going with. You've only got one crewman, your other ones left and you need more than two people to do the kind of work you do. I read your file. I'm coming with you. 11:52:07 PM Coil: ...we're not a Coalition ship. Why me? 11:52:24 PM Josie: Lark: It's where Irene died. 11:52:55 PM Coil: Are you going to resign your commision? 11:53:55 PM Josie: Lark: Yes. Don't say no. 11:54:14 PM Josie: She kisses him. AWKWARD. 11:54:58 PM Coil: He doesn't really respond, his brain still chewing over all of this. 11:55:28 PM Josie: Lark: ... don't say no. Please. 11:59:20 PM Coil: .. I'll need to think about it. All right? 12:00:11 AM Josie: Lark: ... all right. 12:01:47 AM Josie: She relaxes a little bit. Practically on his lap. 12:04:41 AM Coil: .... 12:05:13 AM Josie: Lark: I expected you to be easier to seduce. 12:05:41 AM Coil: Sorry to disappoint. 12:06:07 AM Josie: Lark: You seemed like the type. 12:06:22 AM Josie: Lark: And I didn't think I was that bad. 12:12:35 AM Coil: No, no you're not. You're very attractive. 12:12:53 AM Josie: Lark: What is it, then? 12:13:17 AM Coil: ...you're hurting. In pain. 12:13:48 AM Josie: Lark: Yeah... 12:14:04 AM Josie: She puts a hand to his throat, very gently. "You don't want to take advantage." 12:15:19 AM Coil: ...no. 12:17:21 AM Josie: Lark: ... fair enough. Holding me wouldn't be taking advantage, would it? 12:17:49 AM Coil: I suppose not. 12:19:38 AM Josie: Lark: Won't make you do it. You want me, you know. On your crew. You don't know it, but you do. There aren't five people in the universe trained like me. 12:21:07 AM Coil: What do you do? 12:22:36 AM Josie: She stands up, taking a deep breath, and heading back over to the drinks cabinet. She pours herself a glass of water from the tap, and returns to the couch, on the opposite end from Coil. 12:22:48 AM Josie: Lark: I read people. 12:23:25 AM Coil: Read people? 12:24:19 AM Josie: Lark: Butterfly-trained. I'm too upset right now to be useful, but. 12:29:49 AM Josie: ((You still here? Am I that boring?)) 12:30:57 AM Coil: ((No! I'm sorry. I was in the bathroom.)) What use would I have for a people-reader? 12:31:28 AM Josie: Lark: Negotiations. 12:34:41 AM Coil: .. that's not a bad point. I'll... give it some thought. All right? 12:35:58 AM Josie: She sighs, and sips the water. "Fine. You know I *could* blackmail you." 12:36:15 AM Coil: I suspect you could. 12:37:11 AM Josie: Lark: I'm not going to. But if you say no I'll hunt you down. 12:38:52 AM Coil: ...that's much better than blackmail. 12:40:08 AM Josie: Lark: Yes. It's honest and honorable and still saves me from spiraling into alcoholism, addiction and death. 12:43:29 AM Coil: ... all right. Can I go back to my ship? 12:44:11 AM Josie: Lark: Is there anything I can do to change your mind? 12:44:46 AM Coil: I haven't made any decisions yet. 12:46:33 AM Josie: Lark: All right. When you do, tell me. You won't be cleared to leave until then. 12:46:43 AM Josie: ((Although of course, you can escape.)) 12:46:59 AM Coil: I will. 12:48:44 AM Josie: Lark: You're very hard-hearted. 12:51:14 AM Coil: ... I am, I'm sorry. 12:51:55 AM Josie: Lark turns away. "Let me know." 12:52:29 AM Coil: I will. 12:52:36 AM Coil: Coil stands and leaves! 12:52:48 AM Josie: Bam! Where to? 12:54:17 AM Coil: Back to his ship. 12:55:22 AM | Edited 12:55:26 AM Josie: Vir is sitting alone in the cargo bay, fiddling with his mechanical doodad. 12:56:09 AM Coil: Coil looks around. "We clear?" 12:56:33 AM Josie: Vir: They're gone. I've swept for devices; there are none. 12:57:27 AM Coil: ... This gets better and better. Lark had a twin. She wants to join the crew. 12:58:17 AM Josie: Vir: ... what did you tell her? 12:58:28 AM Coil: That I'd think about it. 12:59:08 AM Josie: Vir: We could blow the hatch and escape. 1:00:46 AM Coil: It has occured to me. She promised to hunt me down if I did that. 1:01:05 AM Coil: ... I've screwed us over, Vir, I'm sorry. 1:01:29 AM Josie: Vir: We take her with us and lock her in one of the holds. 1:01:55 AM Coil: That will only last so long. 1:02:34 AM Josie: Vir: If she stays conscious. And alive. 1:04:20 AM Coil: That's occured to me, too. 1:05:14 AM Josie: Vir doesn't say anything, just waits, quietly. 1:08:14 AM Coil: ... I don't know. I'm not going to kill her. 1:08:41 AM Josie: Vir: We could kill the slug. 1:08:50 AM Josie: He actually doesn't sound at all certain of that. 1:10:05 AM Coil: .... no. I'm not going to kill anyone. No matter how much easier it would make things. 1:10:33 AM Josie: Vir admits, rather reluctantly, "I like the slug." 1:11:54 AM Coil: Yeah. But there is *no* way we can have the slug and Lark on board. 1:12:12 AM Coil: She knows I was lying about the details. 1:12:50 AM Josie: Vir: I would also object to someone wearing one of my siblings as a suit of clothing. 1:15:14 AM Josie: Vir: We could find it a new host. 1:16:33 AM Coil: Maybe. I don't know. 1:17:04 AM Josie: Vir: Corpses aren't that difficult to find. 1:17:51 AM Josie: Vir: ... perhaps we are going about the problem in the wrong way. 1:18:17 AM Coil: What do you mean? 1:18:33 AM Josie: Vir: Her sister saved the slug's life. 1:19:29 AM Coil: .... I don't follow. 1:20:28 AM Josie: Vir: It could be seen as an act of heroism. 1:20:52 AM Josie: Vir: ... while I would object to someone wearing a sibling as a hat, I would not object to a sibling saving another being's life at the cost of his or her own. 1:21:14 AM Josie: Vir: Although of course, such a thing is unlikely given their personalities. 1:22:06 AM Coil: Especially with a 'proscribed species'. 1:23:01 AM Josie: Vir: My family would not care less about such a designation. ... and I don't either. 1:23:32 AM Coil: Me neither, but it would matter to her, I think. 1:23:37 AM Coil: ... I don't know. 1:23:53 AM Josie: Vir: We need more information about her. 1:24:48 AM Josie: Vir: Then we would have a better analysis.